Dividing Agapanthus and tulips update

I have to admit that my dividing Agapanthus pics are none too visually thrilling, so I’m shamelessly throwing in an update of my gorgeous tulips at the same time.

A week later than my last tulip post and the very dark ‘Queen of the Night’ and the softer, more frilly ‘Curly Sue’ are adding a more sombre note to the bed. Very raspberry ripple, but the firey orange ‘Ballerina’ does add a zing and if I was planting this bed again, I’d probably add a few more of these. I’m pleased with the combination none-the-less though.

So here’s my large (16 inch) pot of Agapanthus.

To be honest, it does give me about 30 flowers every summer (with plenty of feeding), but it’s been in this pot for years and I thought it was time to divide it. I originally bought the plant as a large clump of an unnamed variety from Pine Cottage plants and it’s been delighting me for years. This is a glorious Agapanthus specialist nursery in Devon and well worth the visit should you be heading down that way. They also offer a fantastic mail order service with a wide and very tempting selection of cultivars and I’ve ordered many quality plants for clients that way too.

It wasn’t easy removing the plant from the pot, but once the first sliver was out, I was able to use a large sharp kitchen knife to slice through the roots and divide up the rest.

There was hardly any soil left in the pot, but now I’ve re-potted the large clump back into the pot with plenty of fresh rich compost, and the smaller pieces have been planted in a neighbour’s garden. I’m hoping that I should get some flowers from the larger clump this year and I’m curious to see if the smaller pieces will flower too in the soil this summer.

Meanwhile, back in the Tulip bed, I’m lapping up what these luscious spring bulbs have to offer.

20 Responses

This colour combination is so striking.
Only this past weekend I was thinking about your massed purple and orange tulip display from last year- you planted up a bed at the end of a street I think?

Quick question about the agapanthus!
I sowed some from seed maybe five years ago and the now 10 inch high plants are in the main garden rather than a pot. I’m still waiting for flowers…
Might I be better served by cramming them altogether in a pot? Or should I just be more patient!

I divided a large pot of agapanthus this time last year. Some I kept in a pot and the rest I planted in the garden. They delivered leaf but no flowers. It sounds like I should be liberally feeding, like you mention. The pot seemed to do better. What are you feeding with?

I am also a bit confused about caring for agapanthus as I have read that they like to be completely neglected and pot bound and then the RHS website says that is incorrect. My 3 in containers gave only weak flowers on collapsing stems last year but that might have been the weather. What do you feed yours with and how much watering?

Hi Lewisham Gardens, Ruth and Claire, I’ve just spoken to Lorna Fulcher at Pine Cottage Plants about your questions and here is what we’ve discussed. Every plant is grown in different conditions: some are evergreen, whilst others are deciduous, but I hope some of the answers below help.

Plants sown from seed normally flower in the third year in the ground. LG-more patience? Hope they flower this year for you.

Make sure the spot isn’t shady otherwise the plants won’t flower.

And some cultivars out there just aren’t good flowerers so may never flower well.

Agapanthus don’t need to be grown in pots to restrict their growth. This is a myth and will not help the plants to flower. Plants should be regularly potted on into bigger pots when they become too big for their original pot.

When you divide a plant, you are reducing its vigour, but it still should produce some flowers if it has set flowering buds the year before.

Feed with a high potash feed to produce flowers in pots-I use seaweed feed, but tomato or rose feed would work equally well and I water my pots regularly.

Hi Sue, I’d love to lift them and plant them in a spare bed-if only I had one! I let them die down in the soil (up to a point), but this bed will be used for salads and sweet peas, so some might just be pulled up and composted if they’re in the way! I generally order more in the autumn, but happy if some return the following spring.
Will definitely be recording what happens to the agapanthus chunks later in the year….N x

Your tulips are heavenly. A brilliant combination. I noticed this morning that my Queen of the night (planted in a rather shady spot) have just turned from green to glorious aubergine-purple. And funnily enough, like you I have just divided an agapanthus, a plant my mum gave me a few weeks ago because the pot broke over the winter. I’ve put mine in the ground and I’m guessing that it won’t flower this year. I’m not sure of the variety, but my mum tells me it’s white and the flowers are not particularly tall. We shall see, and no doubt I’ll be watching yours with envy!

Hi Charlotte, Do let me know if your agapanthus flowers in summer. Don’t see why it shouldn’t if it’s a big clump of roots? The large piece I repotted into the large pot is looking very healthy and putting on lots of new growth, so I have high hopes for this flowering……we’ll see!

The tulips look amazing. What will you do with the bulbs afterwards? do you sort by colours and lift them or leave them in the soil?

It’s very entertaining to read all the queries about agapanthas. Here, in New Zealand, they grow so well that they are considered a pest plant in some coastal areas. They hate frost and cold, but generally love neglect. My parents coastal driveway is lined with them. They were planted into arid soil with a post hole digger. To add insult to injury, they are divided with saw or very sharp spade.

Hi Amy, I leave some tulips in the soil, but sadly I don’t have anywhere to move them too, so a fair amount will be added to the compost heap to make way for my summer lettuces..Ah, to have a bit more space!
Envious of your parents coastal driveway! I think Agapanthus do very well down in Cornwall growing on verges etc. too, but I really cherish the ones I have in pots dotted around my garden. V.best Naomi